There’s a film festival going on in Buenos Aires! It started on April 13 and ends on the 24th, the Buenos Aires Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente, or BAFICI, is the biggest and most prestigious film festival in Latin America. They’ve got about 350 films or so, ranging from world premieres “Rescates” (Rescues) like “La chica de rosa” (Pretty in Pink with Molly Ringwald) to the current “L’ADN du ceviche” documentary on ceviche, part of the “Comer y Beber” (Eat and Drink) category.
We checked out the world premiere of the film “La ciudad de las réplicas,” the official entry from the province of Tucumán and part of the “Lugares” (Places) category on a Saturday afternoon.
The documentary gave us a look into the Argentine town of Famaillá that is now known for the Orellana twins, who alternate between governor and legislator, and the growing number of replicas of landmarks and entertainment, from the fictional Jurassic Park to a small-scale model of the Vatican.
Whimsical and humorous, the film explored the idea of a replica gently asking viewers what the difference between the original and the replica might be and whether or not it really matters. With plenty of interpretations, and wide variety in opinions in the on-screen interviews, the film doesn’t pigeonhole viewers into one line of thinking.
The Q&A with the filmmaker Belina Zavadisca also provided us even more of an understanding into the importance of this documentary and of Famaillá’s replicas to its people.
The film spends some time on the fact that Famaillá is the empanada capital of Argentina, but a fellow audience member made sure to bring up the fact that the area in Tucumán had an infamous reputation as a detention center during the dictatorship and that it is also known for having the most disappearances (quite helpful to us as unknowledgeable tourists). Zavadisca explained that it was important for her, and the town, to give it recognition for something more positive, something the people can be proud of.
Currently in Famaillá, they’re working on a Venice of their own (they have a river running through the city), and a 5 story castle modeled after a Disney structure that will provide views of the city. They’re not the only city with a replica (SoCal has it’s own Venice canals), but they may be the only one bold enough to have so many.